Unusually generous (13 page) introductory essay from the great man, and a neat selection too. As with the various Christopher Lee compilations (see Haining, Parry), the idea was to collect stories featuring villains and monsters that the Cush had encountered during his glorious career. The Michael Arlen story has dated badly, but full marks for reviving James Blish’s extraordinary werewolf novella, while Robert Bloch’s EC-like creation is always welcome.

The dedication “To Helen, Who is always with me”, even brings a lump to the throat of the evil demonik, who isn’t a great big fairy as everybody knows.